Olympic Skier Jessie Diggins Takes on Ultramarathons

Jessie Diggins spent years racing across snow-covered mountains for Olympic glory, and now she's found a new way to challenge herself: running up them.

The four-time Olympic medalist retired from cross-country skiing in March after an emotional final race at the World Cup Finals in Lake Placid, New York. For the first time in her career, she got to finish on home soil after competing in 351 World Cup races overseas.

"To finish at home and at a place that was really close to the club where I had made a life and made a home out on the East Coast—that was just so special," Diggins told PEOPLE. The Minnesota native left the sport as America's most decorated Olympic cross-country skier with one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.

But retirement doesn't mean slowing down. This fall, Diggins will run her first ultramarathon, a grueling endurance race that can last hours and covers rocky, mountainous terrain.

She's always been curious about the sport but never had time while training for skiing competitions. Now she's excited to push herself in a completely different way.

"I'm less focused on trying to be the best in the world. I wanna challenge myself," she says. "Can I do this distance? Can I climb this many vertical kilometers in the mountains?"

Why This Inspires

Diggins' story shows that life after achieving your biggest dreams doesn't have to mean settling down. She's also partnering with NOW Foods on their Start NOW campaign, which encourages people to jump into wellness journeys at any stage of life.

Throughout her skiing career, Diggins relied on careful nutrition and supplements to stay healthy during intense race seasons. She credits her regimen for keeping her illness-free during the last four years of competition, even while traveling constantly during cold and flu season.

Now she's using that same dedication to fuel her ultramarathon training. She packs portable snacks for long mountain runs and continues working with nutrition coach Elyse Kopecky on recipes that provide real energy.

Beyond athletics, Diggins is focusing on advocacy work for mental health, wellness, and environmental causes. She's proving that the discipline and passion that made her an Olympic champion can create impact in entirely new ways.

The trail ahead looks different than the one she's leaving behind, but Diggins is running toward it with the same fierce joy that carried her to the podium.